Method of producing knitted fabrics



Jan. 17, 1933. R. K. MILLS 1,894,319

METHOD OF PRODUCING KNITTED FABRICS Original Filed Jan. 8. 1930 EK/V/L; s.

gdhfwyi Patented Jan. 17, 1933 ROBERT KIRKLAND MILLS, OF SHERWOOD, NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND METHOD OF PRODUCING KNITTED FABRICS Original application filed January 8, 1930,

Divided and. this application filed July 1, 1932.

This invention relatesto improvements in the method of producing knitted fabrics and the invention covered by this case is a division of an application filed by the applicant on the 8th January 1930 under Serial No.

419,228. The expression knitted fabric includes any fabric which is composed of or incorporates knitted stitches or intermeshing thread loops; and the main object of the present invention is to produce a knitted fabric wherein the tendency to rove or ladder is eliminated or minimized.

In the method of producing knitted fabric according to this invention, a new thread loop is drawnby a knitting instrument, such as a needle, through an old stitch loop and said old stitch loop is subsequently drawn through said new loop so as to produce a locked or tied stitch.

'In a particular method of producing a locked or tied stitch a new thread loop is drawn through an old stitch loop already on i said needle, which old loop is retained on the needle and is subsequently drawn through the new loop, which latter loop is then cast off leaving the old loop still on the needle.

In. another arrangement the loop of new thread becomes itself a stitchjloop, said new thread Y loop being. drawn a second time through the old loop, which latter is then cast ofl the needle.

Advantageously the production of the locked or tied stitch is preceded by the production of an ordinary knitted stitch, latch needles being employed having a plurality of latches spaced one from another on the shank, said latches being independently displaceable and operating at predetermined intervals to pass a thread loop through and also around another loop.

For the purpose of more fully describing the nature of this invention reference'will now be made to the accompanying drawing, where1n:

Figure 1 illustrates successive steps in the production of a locked or tied use of a two latch needle.

Figure 2 illustrates the final steps in the production of a modified form of loeked or stitch by the Serial No 620,490.

tied stitch by'the use of a three latch needle.

' In one method of producing fabric in acoordance with this invention a knitting machine is employed'wherein'all or selected of the needles are provided with aplurality of pivoted latch-es spaced one below the other on the same side of the needle shank. Preferably needles'having two pivoted latches are employed,and reference to Figure 1 of the drawing will clearly show the successive motions of a double latch needle in theproduct-ion of a plain or normal stitch followed by a locked stitch. 7

At the first position reading from the left in Figure 1 the needle 1 is shown raised to a normal feeding height, an old thread loop 8 on the needle being cleared below the opened or lowered top latch 2 and new thread 4 fed into the needle hook 5. At the second position, the needle 1 has been lowered to close the toplatch 2 and knock over or cast off the old thread loop 3 and form a normal knitted stitch. At theothird position from the left the loop 4 which has been retained in the needle hook is passed below the first latch'2 on the upward motion of the needle, and a short downward motion is then imparted to the needle topass said loop ibetween the upper and lower latches'2 and 6 as shown at the fourth position Continued upward movement is then imparted to the needle to bring'same to the fifth position, at which new thread 7 is fed'between the two lowered latches 2 and 6, while the old loop 4- which was previously located between the latches is cleared below the lower latch 6. During the feeding of the new thread 7 the needle is again lowered, and at the sixth position a loop formed from said new thread 7 is retained beneath the lowered-top latch 2 overlappedby the lower upturned latch 6, said'retained loop 7 being drawn through the old thread loop-4, which latter passes up into the needle hook 5. At the completion of the through the old stitch loop l and then passed around same when castoif so as to tie itself upon said old loop.

In a modified method of producing the fabric, needles with'three spaced pivoted latches are employed as shown in Figure 2. In usthe lowermost latch 8 and the new thread 7 is laid orfed between the middle latch 6 and lowermost latch 8. The operation of the needle prior to the feeding of the new thread 7 is similar to that described with 7 reference to the double latch needle except that during the raising of the needle to the clearing aosition two short downward move ments would be required for. ensuring that the middle and lower latches 6 and 8 are both lowered.

At the first step in the downward move mentofthe needle after taking the thread 7 (see second position from the left in Fig ure 2) the lowermost latch 8 is reversed or raised to abut against the middle latch 6 and the old loop l passes over the abutting'latches and also over the newly laid thread 7 which is retained by said abutting latches, said old loop 4 passing to a position between the upper latch 2 and middle latch 6 and a loop of the new'thread 7 being drawn through said old loop. On further downward movement of the needle to the third position, the middle latch 6 is raised or reversed by the loop of new thread 7 and abuts against lowered uppermost latch 2, said new loop 7 passing over the uppermost and middle latches 2 and 6 and over the old loop 4: into the needle hook 5. At the final stage in the downwardmovement of the needle the old thread loop 4 closes the uppermost latch 2 on to the hook and is cast ofl'the needle and in so doing becomes tied upon the new loop 7 which is still retained in the needlehook. It will thus be seen that in' this last-de- Y scribed arrangement the old loop constitutes the locking or tied loop, and as compared with the stitch produced by the two-latch needle the new thread loop 7 is drawn once more through the old loop to produce a dou ble intertwining effect.

From the above it will be appreciated that when a plural latch needle is required to produce an ordinary unlocked stitch same is only raised to a height sufiicient to permit of new thread being laid in the hook and to clear. the old loop beneath the uppermost latch.

I claim 1. The method of producing knitted fabric wherein the loop of new thread is drawn by a knitting instrument such as a needle through an old stitch loop and said old stitch loop is subsequently drawn through'said new loop.

2. A method of producing knitted fabric wherein a loop of new thread is drawn bya knitting instrument such as a needle through i an old stitch loop already on saidneedle, said" tied a knitting instrument such as .a' needle 7 through anold; stitch loop already on the neea dle, said old stitch loop being subsequently drawn through said new loop while retaining both loops on the needle, and said'new loop being then drawn a second time through said old loop which latter is then cast-off.

4. The method of producing knittedfabric if by'the employment of a pivoted latch needle wherein at predetermined intervals new thread is fed into the needle hook and drawn through an old thread loop on the needle tov produce an ordinary stitch, and at otherpredetermined intervals new thread is fed beneath a needle latch and is drawn in the form of a loop through an old loop on the needle, which old loop is subsequently drawn through said new loop so as to cause said new loop to pass both through and closelyaround the old loop.

termeshing thread loops wherein a loop is passed through and also around another loop by employment of a needle having a plurality of pivoted latches.

6. The production of fabric embodying intermeshing thread loops by. the employment of needles having aplurality of latches spaced along the needle shank, thread beingfed between said pivoted latches and the needle be! ing operated to pass a thread loop through and also around another thread loop on the needle so as to tie one loopupon the other.

ROBERT KIRKLAND -MILLS.

5. The product1on of fabric embodying in- 

